THE pre-season transfer deadline has passed and our two teams have been announced for the ‘new’ racing TV channels.

Being a subscription channel, Racing UK (Racing TV) will need to offer something more, now that ATR (Sky Sports Racing) have the hi-definition pictures.

The Racing TV Irish team do look good, having taken what was best from the ATR Irish coverage in Gary O’Brien and Kevin O’Ryan.

TV sports coverage needs a good knowledgeable ‘front presenter’ as well as a back-up team with knowledge of the formbook and of the people involved with the horses at all the various levels.

Ruby and Donn McClean have the wealth of racing knowledge and Kate Harrington should come to fill this role also, (even if Jane Mangan is already many lengths ahead of any Irish female racing presenter). It’s the extra cost and the amount of air time that is their big obstacle.

ATR did a great job on much of Irish racing. It was a smart move this last month with Matt Chapman as roving reporter at the smaller Irish tracks – a farewell tour if you like, this is what you will miss reminder. But they had the time to give to the extensive interviews with the smaller, but forever entertaining people that make the heart of Irish racing.

We remember the best bits of ATR, they too had some poor days, with too many meetings, too frequent ad breaks and no one in attendance at the track. The coverage of Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown was quite poor due to lack of time to fit everything in.

It seems it will be similar now with Racing TV. For me, Racing UK are much the best at the big days, Royal Ascot, Cheltenham when the horses and the people behind them need no embroidery, or smart alec presenters. The stories tell themselves. Sky Sports Racing will need to up its Royal Ascot game.

Nick Luck’s Luck On Sunday quickly overtook The Sunday Forum as the Sunday review show to watch - it wasn’t about the presenters, the guests speak for themselves.

ATR were great at making something out of very little – the silk purse out of the sow’s ears, Chapman at Chelmsford with a winning owner, Harvey and Weaver created a niche of their own. They raised the bar on making racing light entertainment, brought a bit of lively bar banter onto live TV on Friday nights.

The new Sky Sports Racing team have not strayed too far from the old ATR. Alex Hammond as lead presenter is a bit ‘meh’, we’ve got a lot of more of the same, though more of Jamie Lynch is good. Harvey and Weaver have ITV commitments also but are among the better elements. Josh Apiafi may bring a bit of bite. It remains to be seen what extra data they have to add to the analysis elements.

It’s a changing scene and that may change again in two years’ time, such is the volatile market of sports broadcasting.